The exhibition features several works of academic realist portraiture from early 20th century – vivid oil portraits by masters of the form such as Pestonji Bomanji, M. F. Pithawalla, Baburao Painter and L. N. Taskar as well as charcoal sketches by M. V. Dhurandhar, an academic artist of renown of the same period. The selection features Western academic oil-influenced works on mythological themes by the school referred to as Early Bengal and two works painted in a Raja Ravi Varma-derived style – an anonymous work by the Ravi Varma ‘School’ and Aroomoogam Pillay.
The Progressive Artists’ Group is represented in their entirety by the artists M. F. Husain, S. H. Raza, K. H. Ara, S. K. Bakre, H. A. Gade and F. N. Souza. Other modernist masters featured in the selection are names like Bikash Bhattacharjee, Nikhil Biswas, Sunil Das, Bijan Choudhary, Jogen Chowdhury, Laxma Goud, Ganesh Haloi, Gopal Ghose and K. K. Hebbar. The ‘Bengal School’ is represented by Nandalal Bose and Mukul Dey, whose limited-edition published volume of twenty signed drypoints, Indian Life and Legends is a highlight of the exhibition. Tantra is represented handsomely by masters Biren De, K. V. Haridasan and G. R. Santosh, while other artists known for their tantra association – Sohan Qadri and S. H. Raza are seen here with their abstract works of an earlier period. Of tremendous significance is the inclusion of two landscapes – by Nicholas Roerich, an artist rare to come across, and an equally rare, early landscape by Jamini Roy, a work unusual in its large scale. Our sculpture section is led by master-sculptor Ramkinkar Baij and features well-known modernist sculptors, D. P. Roy Chowdhury, Chintamoni Kar, Tarak Garai, Ravinder Reddy.
With unusual inclusions such as a collage by sculptor Himmat Shah and an impressionistic landscape Jamini Roy, known otherwise for his folk-inspired art, this edition of Manifestations is a substantial and rich offering of modern Indian art.